Henare claims Woolhandler of the Year
New Zealand representative Joel Henare claimed his eighth NZ Woolhandler of the Year title in a decade on dominance in Balclutha today, firming his status as the one to beat for next week's World Woolhandling title at ILT Stadium Southland in Invercargill. Henare's speed and quality earned him an emphatic victory this afternoon, 283 points clear of Pagan Karauria, who earlier in the day reversed the result to claim the South Island Circuit title for 2017. Henare proved to be in World Champions...
February 4, 2017Kiwi World champs hope Oldfield wins blades title at Reefton
Geraldine bladeshearer Phil Oldfield had an important win ahead of this week's World shearing and woolhandling championships when he beat an international field to regain the Reefton Shears bladeshearing at the Inangahua A and P Show today. While teammate Tony Dobbs and three African hopes for the World championships in Invercargill from Wednesday to next Saturday did not make the trip to the West Coast, there was a significant field of 18 bladeshearers and an otherwise all-overseas final of th...
February 4, 2017All-Star Final for Otago Shears
The temperature is rising in Balclutha and so are the big names as an all-star quintet is set to battle it out in this afternoon's Open Shearing Final. Southland's Troy Pyper, Nathan Stratford and Darin Forde will face-off against northern invaders Hamish Mitchell (Scotland) and Ivan Scott (Ireland) just four days out from the start of the 2017 World Shearing and woolhandling Championships in Invercargill. Pyper was electric in the 10-sheep semi-final, finishing fastest in 10'41 to hold off N...
February 4, 2017Stratford on song early in Balclutha
New Zealand representative Nathan Stratford again showed World Championship form to qualify in top spot in the Open Shearing Heats at the Balclutha Shearing Championships this morning. Stratford shore his five in one of the fastest times (6'41) and again had close to the best quality score on the board and in the pen to finish 0.4 points ahead of Andy Mainland who was first off the board in 6'28. They will be joined in the quarterfinals by Darin Forde, Brett Roberts, Troy Pyper, Abraham Berke...
February 4, 2017Confidence-booster for Baty
New national woolhandling representative Mary-Anne Baty has scored a confidence-boosting win at the Dannevirke A and P Show before heading south for a bid to win a World championship in Invercargill next week. Gisborne woolhandler Baty, who had only had one previous Open-class win, took today's title by less than three-tenths of a point from 2010 World teams title winner Keryn Herbert, from Te Awamutu. The event attracted a good entry of 14 woolhandlers, despite clashing with the Otago Champio...
February 3, 2017NZ Woolhandler of the Year finalists found
The world seemed to revolve around Balclutha today as the Otago Shearing and New Zealand Woolhandling Championships began at the Balclutha War Memorial Hall today. The opening day of the 2017 championships featured woolhandling and junior and intermediate shearing and saw a strong southern contingent and competitors from throughout New Zealand line up alongside Falkland Islanders, Australians, Welsh, Germans, English, Scots, Irish, Dutch, Austrians, French, Cook Islanders, Swiss and American o...
February 3, 2017Bladies cut a track for Reefton Shears
A mini unofficial World championship is in the offing for the Reefton Shears on Saturday as some of the best in the ancient craft of wool clipping sharpen the blades ahead of official event in Invercargill next week. Among those expected is defending World champion Mayenzeke Shweni, pictured at Errowanbang, Australia, in 2014. While defending Reefton bladeshearing champion and leading New Zealand World Championships hope Tony Dobbs, of Fairlie, is unable to be present, organiser Sam Win unde...
February 3, 2017VIDEO - International shearers warming up for World Champs
International shearers of all disciplines headed to Mt Linton Station for two days of shearing training this week. Leading into next week's World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships, competitors from all over the world sharpened their skills, while some of the world's most renowned shearers watched....
February 3, 2017AUDIO - Doug Laing on Radio Live
Mike Puru and Trudi Nelson talk with Doug Laing from Shearing Sports New Zealand on the World Shearing & Woolhandling Championship that is being held in Invercargill at ILT Stadium Southland next week. To listen to the interview please click here....
February 3, 201760 minute challenge: Shear panic for novice shearer
In the lead up to the World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships, reporter Joanna Griffiths caught up with farmer Robbie Watkinson and shearer Nathan Stratford learn how to shear a sheep. Let's be honest. The closest I have ever come to shearing a sheep is wearing a woollen jumper or shaving my legs after a long winter. Regardless, as a farm girl, I was ready to face this challenge head on. I mean, if someone can shear a sheep in 17.5 seconds, then surely I can manage at least one in an...
February 3, 2017Henare dominates NZ Woolhandler of the Year Heats
New Zealand woolhandling representative Joel Henare has dominated the heats of the New Zealand Woolhandler of the Year heats in Balclutha this morning, comfortably qualifying for this afternoon's semifinals. Dunedin-based Henare, who is putting the finishing touches on his preparation for next week's World Championships at ILT Stadium Southland in Invercargill, qualified over 31 points clear of his nearest rival with a score of 70.432 points. Mataura's Candy Hiri qualified second on 101.750 al...
February 3, 2017A chat with Gwion Evans - Wales
Gwion Evans is lining up in his first World Championships, earning selection by winning the Welsh shearing circuit in 2016. We chatted with Gwion at the recent NZ Full Wool Shearing Championships in Northern Southland. Gwion, welcome over. Good chance for a hit-out here (at the Northern Southland Shears), how are you feeling? Feeling good, just missed out on the semis. A bit too slow I think. Is if different to what you are used to with these big Romney ewes you are throwing around today?...
February 3, 2017A chat with Ivan Scott - Ireland
Ireland's Ivan Scott has had a massive last 12 months, spending much of it building up and eventually breaking the single stand nine-hour strong wool lamb shearing record in July, setting a new record tally of 867. With that behind him, his focus has returned to show shearing as he looks to add another accolade to an already crowded shearing resume. Ivan, you are looking pretty sharp. How are you feeling a week out? Not too bad. Getting there. I'm trimming up a few things. You've taken th...
February 2, 2017VIDEO - International Training Days
Participants in the 2017 World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships were given a rare opportunity to learn from some of the best trainers in the business, gain guidance from judges involved in next year's championships and spend a couple of days in the magnificent facility that is Mount Linton Station's woolshed. View some of the action from two very popular International Training Days....
February 2, 2017Balclutha all go - 2000 sheep and all
Organisers of the Otago Shears which start tomorrow (Friday) are bringing in extra sheep to cope with increased entries in the final shakedown before next week's World championships in Invercargill. Organising committee member Ken Payne said keen interest from World Championships teams means about 2000 sheep will be shorn in the two days of shearing and woolhandling in the Balclutha War Memorial Hall – about 400 more than normal.. Finishing on Saturday, the two-day Otago championships has be...
February 2, 2017International shearers learn tricks of the trade from Fairlie world champ
A Kiwi, a Welshman and a Scotsman walk into a shearing shed. What happens next is no joking matter. Professional blade shearers from Scotland and Wales have spent the past few days sequestered at a farm on the outskirts of Fairlie, learning the tricks of the trade from former world champion Tony Dobbs. Read the full article and watch video from The Timaru Herald here. ...
February 2, 2017International shearers gain wealth of experience from former champs
International shearers have been soaking up the experience in the first day of a training session at Mount Linton Station, a former champion says. Shearers from 32 countries spent time learning from top Kiwi shearers in the lead up to the World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships. The two-day training session is being held at Mount Linton Station, in Western Southland, on Wednesday and Thursday. Read the full article from The Southland Times here....
February 2, 2017Mr February - Nathan Stratford
The national and international media attention ahead of the 2017 World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships is immense. Check out the cover of the latest Country Wide magazine. Introducing, Mr February ... Nathan Stratford!...
February 2, 2017Overseas shearers for Otago event
Some of the world's best will converge in Balclutha this weekend for the Otago Shearing and Woolhandling Championships. Shearing Sports New Zealand South Island committee chairman Michael Hogan anticipated about 220 shearing and woolhandling competitors would travel to Balclutha for the championship events to be held on Friday and Saturday. New Zealand team shearing representatives Nathan Stratford, of Invercargill, and Johnny Kirkpatrick, of Napier, will make an appearance, after qualifying l...
February 2, 2017Livestream coverage to broadcast Championships to the World
The 2017 World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships is truly an international event with 32 countries from all over the globe descending on Invercargill from next Wednesday to vie for world titles. The 40th anniversary championships will make history as the first instance the event has been hosted in New Zealand's South Island and includes a record number of participating countries, making it the largest Championship of all time. So, it is only fitting that the world will be watching. E...
February 1, 2017A chat with Daniel Creer - Isle of Man
Daniel Creer is one of two competitors representing the Isle of Man at next week's World Championships. He gave us an insight in to farming back home in the country that can lay claim to being the smallest in area at this year's Championships. So, from a farming point of view tell us how the agricultural sector fits in to the big picture on the Isle of Man. The agricultural sector on the Isle of Man has a long history. In recent years, it has become a lot tougher with the banking sector but t...
January 31, 2017Baigent beats record-holder Scott in Tapawera final
Wakefield shearer Travers Baigent had his biggest success when beat World Championships hopeful Ivan Scott, of Ireland, in Saturday's Tapawera Shears Open final south of Nelson. Baigent, 26 and pictured during the presentation below as Scott looks on from the far right, achieved the win by beating the World lamb shearing record holder by over half-a-minute in being the only finalist to cut-out the 15-sheep pen in under 15 minutes, and doing it with the best points on the shearing board. Scott ...
January 31, 2017Mutch zeroes in on World Champs
Former World shearing champion Gavin Mutch placed his stake in the ground of upcoming championships hopes when he won the Geyserland Shears Open final at the Rotorua A and Show on Sunday. It was the first win of the season for the Scotland international and Taranaki farmer, lining-up for the 40th anniversary World championships in Invercargill on February 8-11, when he hopes to regain the title he won at the 2012 championships in Masterton. Sunday's win came just 24 hours after Mutch dipped-ou...
January 31, 2017A chat with Germany's Jan Juppe
Germany's Jan Juppe has quickly become a popular figure since arriving in the south and contesting both the Northern Southland Community Shears and Southland Shears. But, he will contest the 2017 World Championships next weekend with a set of blade shears in his hand after he gained selection by winning the German blades title after shearing a grand total of four sheep. Just in case you thought that was a misprint, I'll write it again. Four sheep. In total. Ever! Lucky he had a good trainer...
January 30, 2017Last blows in World Champs preparation
The build-up to the 2017 World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships begins in earnest this week, with two International Training Days scheduled for Mount Linton Station in Western Southland on Wednesday and Thursday. The two-day training course for international competitors in the upcoming World Championships is designed to provide the opportunity to upskill and learn from some of the best shearing and woolhandling trainers in New Zealand. World Championship Organising Committee Chairman...
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